Prank turns fatal: B'luru man dies after sitting on lit firecracker for auto

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

A 32-year-old man, Shabarish died on November 3 after he allegedly sat on a box of firecrackers burst by his friends, who dared him to do so, on the occasion of Deepavali, police said on Monday. Shabarish, who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, accepted the challenge of his six friends, who were also drunk, they said. The bet was if he sat on the box at the time of the bursting of crackers inside it, the group of six who had gathered in Konanakunte on October 31 here would buy him an autorickshaw. A recently released CCTV footage captures the moments leading up to the tragic incident involving Shabarish. In the video, Shabarish is seen engaging in a conversation with the suspects before sitting on a firecracker. One of his friends then ignites the cracker and quickly runs away. Moments later, the firecracker explodes, causing Shabarish to collapse to the ground as the area is covered in smoke. He was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries on Saturday, a senior police officer said. "A case of culpable homicide has been registered and the six members of the group involved in the incident have been arrested.